Honor the assault rifle law

Our opinion: Limited as its effect with will be, the New York SAFE Act’s assault weapon registration requirement is part of necessary efforts to reduce gun violence.

If you own an assault rifle, the deadline is here to either register it, modify it, or get rid of it properly.

You may see this as an outrageous violation of your constitutional rights, or even, some say, your God-given rights. Others see it as a reasonable step to keep particularly deadly weapons out of the hands of people who might use them in crimes, including murderous rampages on whole groups of innocent people.

The mandate to register assault weapons by April 15 is part of the New York Secure Ammunition Firearms Enforcement Act, or SAFE Act, passed in the aftermath of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. In addition to requiring registration of assault rifles, the law bans possession of “high-capacity magazines,” and requires ammunition dealers to do background checks. Designated mental health professionals who believe a patient made a credible threat of harming others are now expected to report it.

Almost immediately, the law drew stiff opposition. Now guns rights activists continue to stage protests; one at the state Capitol this month drew 3,000 gun enthusiasts. Participants were urged to ignore the gun registration requirement, even though doing so constitutes a misdemeanor. Police have flexibility to determine of the failure to register was unintentional and, if so, give the owner 30 days to comply.

Enforcement is the rub here. It’s easy to obtain firearms and ammunition banned in New York by simply driving to other states. Add to that the open defiance of the law among some law enforcement officials, and one has to wonder if it’s altogether worth it.

The law’s biggest beneficiaries may be police. Consider the example of police responding to a call about a distraught individual, in which a quick check reveals there is an assault rifle in the household. That information could help save lives.

But it’s also a reality that one state acting on its own can have only limited impact. What’s really needed is a sensible national gun policy, starting with laws to better regulate interstate sale of firearms and ammunition, and reenactment of the federal assault weapons ban. Passed in 1994 after a spate of deadly attacks, the ban measurably reduced violent assaults with such weapons. Then, after ten years, Congress let it lapse, a status enforced by the industry-funded lobbying of the National Rifle Association.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes the brunt of criticism for pushing through the SAFE Act. Yet a recent Siena College poll shows 63 percent of voters support the firearms legislation, compared with 32 percent opposing it — about the same as it was right after the law was passed in 2013.

Gov. Cuomo spent considerable political capital in pushing to enact this important gun control legislation, but it was absolutely the right thing to do, even with its shortcomings.We can’t help but note that with the deadline approaching, a new lawsuit challenging the act was filed, this one conjuring visions of house-by-house searches and confiscations. Please. Let’s get real: The law is neither the grand solution that the governor and other supporters claim nor the threat to liberty that many anti-gun control voices make it out to be. It’s a modest step to make New York a little safer.

We look to responsible gun owners to take that step now, and hope for smart national action someday soon.

61 Responses

This law serves to only appease the Anti-Gun lobbiest. If the “real” intent was to reduce crime, they would have asked LAW ENFORCEMENT what would have been best. Instead, ignorant politicians passed a law (in the DARK OF NIGHT), with NO time for review and with it’s sole purpose to get in “under the wire” of the federal “idea”.
Law-enforcement is against it and most all gun owners because they KNOW what this was for:bash down the 2nd amendment RIGHTs!! It does NOTHING to stop crime!! Seven-round magazines?? I’m sure that all of those black-market people are stocking up right now – NOT.

Police respond to a call of an individual who is distraught, and a check reveals he has no assault rifle, he also doesn’t have any pistols, because after checking he has no guns.
So they enter and he blows them all up with a bomb. BGC never said anything about a bomb.
Make it harder to get guns, must be the answer.
The real problem not addressed, is the fact that the number one killer in NYS, is handguns. And you need a permit and they must be registered…and all the laws on the books in NYS, are not solving the problem.
The last mass killing in NYS was done by a guy named Wong…and he used handguns…nothing was ever done.
All the mass killings ever done in the entire US, are less then are done in one year in California with handguns.

While I respect opinions, this has to be the dumbest, non-factual, feel-good opinion I have come across. Not one person in favor of the unSAFE Act can give a fact of where the unSAFE Act has saved lives. That is okay. With a 90% refusal rate to register assault weapons, also appropriately defined as the “modern sporting rifle” among educated folks, what is the TU editorial opinion going to be then? Will it be that average citizens criminals for not complying? That is what the unSAFE Act wanted to produce. The TU editorial board must not be up-to-date on the news, because Cuomo has been having secret meetings with NYC union members about the fear of low voter turnout due to disenfranchised members, as well as the Feds now breathing down his neck concerning the Moreland Commission being dissolved. What is your opinion on that?

“The mandate to register assault weapons by April 15 is part of the New York Secure Ammunition Firearms Enforcement Act, or SAFE Act, passed in the aftermath of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.”

Exactly, it’s a reactionary law that was written and passed in the wee hours of night while we were all sleeping, mostly so Cuomo can point out his “touch stance” on guns on his run to the White House.

Criminals and the mentally ill will get and use assault weapons if they really want to. Gang members will continue to kill each other every day with illegal and unregistered guns of all kind, but we won’t talk about that because of the racial components involved.

There was a stabbing at a Pennsylvania high school last week. Should we now make all homeowners register their chef knives?

“Assault rifle” is a compound word manufactured by the liberals to scare their comrades and grease the slope to all kinds of control, starting with firearms of course. The term is defined to snag as many firearms as possible during this early pass at oppressing lawful citizens. Eventually, they’ll get around to the question, “what rifle can’t be used to assault” someone or something? This kind of mumbo-jumbo is intended to weaken The Constitution and eventually replace it with rules friendlier to the nanny state. Kudos to everyone standing for The Constitution and shame on the un-American legislators. Remember them at the polls forever.

I’m seeing an alarming trend on these responses. Andys’ or Andrews’ making statements like “Without guns there would be no gun violence” and ” Facts collected throughout the past decades clearly show that those places that reduce gun ownership have less gun related crime and noticeably less homicides. ” Both are completely wrong and coincide with the head of ludacris, Prince Andy ” No one needs ten bullets to kill a deer. ” “Facts collected ” shows how hard some are trying though. I guess he didn’t use the facts about Chicago when he was collecting them. Spin it however you like. More guns in the US are responsible for a decline in overall crime. Might want to check the FBI crime statistics before quoting the facts gathered by the antis. If Prince Andy were as versed on NYS DEC hunting regulations, he’d know that they forbid more than five rounds when big game hunting. It be a nice change if these spewing such nonsense actually tried to reduce gun violence by reducing “Gun Fee Zones”. They provide no extra safety and make nothing but soft targets of law abiding citizens with no resistance for the mentally insane and are just as effective as Drug Free Zones. If guns scare you don’t buy any. If clouds scare you stay indoors. If facts elude you, write a blog about how effective the SAFE Act is or respond as an “Andy”….

“The law’s biggest beneficiaries may be police. Consider the example of police responding to a call about a distraught individual, in which a quick check reveals there is an assault rifle in the household. That information could help save lives.”

As an active veteran Police Officer, this is nothing more than a crock of crap. I have never, in 8 years in Law Enforcement, taken a SINGLE semi automatic rifle off of a suspect. I have taken numerous illegal handguns off of people. And each one of those has had the offense plead down by a DA who was afraid of stepping foot in a court room and actually prosecuting a case. How about we demand our prosecutors actually prosecute crimes?

How about we put people with mental health issues into NYSPIN? Since they’re a lot more dangerous than an inanimate object? But that would violate their “rights”. Or drug addicts. Put that information into the system to look it up so I don’t get stuck with a dirty needle, which is a much more common problem.

How about instead of “gun control” we get some EDP control? Why are these people, who obviously can not function in society wandering the streets instead of getting the help they need? We take rights away from law abiding citizens and allow the problems to walk around unencumbered. Does that make any sense?

What about having a “mental health professional” turn around and release the person I just brought into the facility for making threats to harm themselves and others, how about keeping them for an actual evaluation? I can’t count the number of times these “professionals” let them leave within a couple of hours. On a half dozen occasions I started my tour bringing someone for an evaluation, and ended the tour bringing that same person back? Where’s the accountability for that?

“The police departments, legislators and governors appear to be under the misconception that they, or the courts are in charge of deciding what rights the people have. The truth is much more stark: the people decide that by deciding which rights they will defend with their lives. Once blood is shed by the government, that decision comes much easier to make. The governments can come to grips with that in their own time, or they can push the issue and find out what little power they actually possess.

They have not thought it through. Like most government agencies they are too accustomed to handing down orders and people scrambling to comply, because no one wants to go to jail. But, there is a point where society has been so devastated by this approach that every new order will be enforced at the cost of lives.

That realization is coming to the forefront in New York, but it is a realization that will be coming to many other government agencies in the next few months as each state takes a swing at oppression.”

The legislation was passed on emotion and a hidden political agenda. Look at the facts, how many “assault” weapons are used in crimes versus other means? The misnomer of “assault weapon” is a media/political tag and do they really know what the term means. Anyone who wishes to commit an assault can use a variety of means to accomplish thier illegal and violent crime. Back to the facts how many legally owned weapons are stolen then used in a crime? I bet not to the extent that the states and Feds used millions of dollars of taxpayer money for this endeavor. So the real people paying are the law abiding citizens exercising their choice of what to own, RESPONSIBLY. The crooks aren’t going to give the least bit of care about this law, after all they are going to commit crimes anyways, what is one more?

So do the numbers and facts stand up to all the allegations by the policy makers to expend this huge amount of money and resources? Why not look at the big rocks to solve violent crime like drunk drivers killing people, how many thousands (including kids) die each year compared to someone being killed by an “assualt rifle”.

Stop punishing the law abiding citizen exercising their rights and toughen up on the really hard job, justifiably punishing the criminals.

Where do YOU stand and WHY? What is the basis for your knowledge and is your knowledge factual?
Do ‘You’ actually want to do something that will decrease the chances or are you one to go along with ‘feel good’ legislation that will do nothing but will increase the risk?
I’m a retired Police Captain, a first responder with decades of knowledge and experience (most decorated, only mentioned to show involvement). My intent is to assist in the enhancement of safety for the American public.
If you care and if your heart really wants to help forget the banter from ill informed persons, groups and especially the Media and do for you, your family, friends and the children!

1. Broaden the concealed gun carry laws so that more qualified individuals are armed. These qualified and trained individual would and should be in our most vulnerable areas, schools, malls, churches, etc. They do not need to have Police powers as their training will include ‘the use of deadly force’ so as to protect themselves and others. A firearm is only a tool and must be viewed as a necessary and proper tool needed to ensure personal and public safety. Where is the logic in removing the tools necessary for self-defense and the defense of others?

2. Children and adults should be taught the principle of ‘run rabbit run’. To coward in a classroom has proven not be the best tactic. More effective emergency evacuations procedures need to be taught and rehearsed.

3. Immediate attention must be brought to bear on the Criminal Justice System and its failure to uphold the Law(s) that are already in place. Plea-bargaining with repeat (career criminals) and/or violent offenders can no longer be tolerated. This is a huge factor in our crime rate and criminal acts. If the Justice system worked William Spengler would not have had a chance to kill the two firefighters. Spengler was allowed to plea bargain to a lower crime for the murder of his grandmother with a hammer. The Police after affecting an arrest must interact with the prosecution as to the proper determination of the case. Judges ‘discretion’ is greatly abused and must be reviewed. A judge must be required to match the merits of the case against the written law and NOT add his or her own personal feelings, that is the job of the legislature. The Justice System must be timely and not like the Fort Hood massacre of l3 over 3 years ago that still hasn’t even been brought to trial. Lawful gun charges at times are not even prosecuted because of the fine art of ‘Plea’ bargaining. The severely compromised justice system is responsible for additional harm to Public Safety!
4. Law enforcement must refocus its efforts to fight crime and apprehend criminals. In some high crime areas the Police will not even respond unless a full tactical force is present because of the extreme risk. Please look up the crime and murder rates in Chicago with very strong gun control laws that are meaningless. We the citizens have lost many areas to the criminal due to the lack of enforcement and the failure of the Leadership! Chicago has an abundance of guns laws but it does not have Leadership! The same is true in many areas.
5. Parole/probation must be completely re-vamped or abolished. Many parole board members do NOT possess the necessary knowledge and experience required of their very serious assignment.
6. News, Media, there should be a proper level of unbiased and impartial reporting of the news. Reduced sensationalism must be engaged for fair reporting and not to encourage others as in copycat activities. The media at times invent their own language and solutions that confuse the facts. The selection and distortion of certain statistics, facts, figures, etc. are designed to sway the listener and in doing so may encourage others to become the next monster. The unchecked power of media can cause harm.
7. Politicians, Why are they so destructive? I have no idea how we can change the politicians to think and do for the good of society. Many times small, vocal, special interest groups received exceptional consideration against the good of the majority. It seems they only act after a crisis and in a manner to make you feel good but it does nothing to solve the crisis. There is now a Federal law making ‘Carjacking’ a crime. Thank you Mr. Politician it has always been a crime and it was and still is, it is called Robbery. You accomplished ‘nothing’ but feel good legislation and the problem remains!
8. Mental Health, in the wisdom of the politicians they closed many/most facilities that housed mentally ill people. You see those ill persons on the street today, begging and doing things (some not so good) in order to survive. These people cannot care for themselves but were dumped out on the street. It was said that the mental facilities were cruel and dangerous. If so the environment within these premises should have been corrected and not put the criminal and mentally ill out in the street. During the Carter administration the Mariel boatlift was allowed. Castro being a smart person empties his criminal and mental facilities and sent them to America. The massive and serious crimes caused by these people were outrageous! This was another ‘feel good’ act that was a disaster to the America People. Our medical people have no place to assign people who are mentally ill so what happens, Nothing they are back on the street. Our State now wants to close more mental facilities and even reduce the medicines for those mentally ill. Of course this is being considered as a means to save money with no consideration to safety.
9. Film and Video producers, Yes, I believe in the 1st amendment (Freedom of Speech) but not to market ‘Sick’ material. One such sick/evil video shows the killing of kindergarten children with a double barrel shotgun. Please tell me how this evil/sick video benefits our children (society)?
10. The deterioration of the American family, loss of respect for self and others, unwillingness to accept accountability and responsibility, the lack of moral and ethical behavior has been detrimental to all.
11. Where is the Accountability and Responsibility from All of our Leaders and Politicians? Maybe we should ban excuse making?
For brevity, necessary depth and details have been left out at this writing, there is so much more.
Please Help, in reducing Crime and Violence, do not add to it!
The Law abiding Citizens are not the problem.

Um, obviously this person has no idea that the SAFE act wouldn’t have prevented Sandy Hook, and that “rifles” (general) are responsible for only a few hundred deaths per year in the US. Less than hammers and baseball bats. So if you want to save lives, be sure to ban and register those too. How many people died at Ft Hood? In Boston last year? You can’t legislate away bad people and banning or registering “assault” rifles doesn’t do enough good to make it worth it. Yes, of course Cuomo stating outright that ‘confiscation is on the table’ makes people nervous about registering their legally purchased guns. They know he would like to take them and the next tragedy might give him the opportunity to get away with it. Has there EVER been a confirmed assault rifle death in NY? NYC politicians looking to score points with their constituents shouldn’t have the right to do whatever they want regardless of the necessity or obvious lack thereof. It’s not fair to the hundreds of thousands of upstate gun owners who never caused any trouble and don’t trust Andy not to sneak something else through in the middle of the night the next time he’s looking to score points with his NYC buddies.

These writers can enjoy their 1st amendment right to freedom of speech, but I can not enjoy the rights of the 2nd amendment. Also the NY Safe Act also allows LEO to take all my guns, if my pistol permit is revoked, even if I have not been convicted of a crime. There is no appeal process setup if this happens. Also if I die, I am not allowed to pass down MY LEGALLY OWNED GUNS TO MY FAMILY (that NY Says are evil assault weapons). Also why is it if a civilian owns AR style gun (semi-auto) it is called a EVIL ASSAULT WEAPON, but when the government buys the same type of gun, that is (full auto) they are called personal defense weapons. The 2ns amendment is not about hunting, it is about protecting us from the government when they step out of line.Look what is happening in Nevada over cattle. The real story there is corrupt lawmakers trying to steal the land and sell it to China to build a solar farm.

Police that refuse to enforce the laws of NY should be fired. Aren’t they “law enforcement officers,” sworn to uphold the laws of the state? It is dereliction of duty not to enforce the SAFE law.

REALLY Henry? Police Pick and choose what law they will enforce at ANY given moment of the Day. Example How many cars do you see getting pulled over for NOT Having their headlights on with the wipers?. How many pull you over for 5 MPH over the speed limit I can tell you one Local dept. Doesn’t even look twice until you exceed 15 Over……….. GET REAL HENRY

Cheerleading for the pointless abrogation of rights? Shame on you. Would you have urged compliance to people who lived in the Jim Crow south?

Do you think that Adam Lanza wouldn’t have been able to murder all those children if his mother’s AR-15 had been registered? There is no point to this registration except to create the laundry list for eventual confiscation, either sooner or later.

Hmm….It seems that most people are truly missing something. The Constitution and The Bill of Rights of The United States of America unconditionally protect private, God given rights of every human being in this country and limits the powers of government. The key here is the differentiation between how each citizen conducts self in daily existence. Are they acting in an absolute private capacity or a public capacity? It is illegal to be forced into slavery however it is not illegal to volunteer self through contractual obligation into a capacity allowing others to regulate their actions thereby placing self subordinate to the State whereby registering births, marriages, deaths, property, wealth and the like to government agencies issuing license makes a citizen a public ward therefrom relinquishing private protection of the Constitution and The Bill of Rights replacing sovereign birthright with privileges granted by said agencies. The governments responsibility is to the public good, not the private. If the definition of license is a permission granted by an authority to do something illegal and the document bearing the permission then a pistol permit is not a right it is a privilege. A drivers license is not a right it is a privilege. The pedestrian has the “right of way” because when they are walking on a “public” thoroughfare they are in an unlicensed private capacity however a licensed driver/operator is in regulated public capacity under state privilege. When the majority of the population voluntarily give up their private birthright to participate in social public welfare provided thereto, it is the states responsibility to act within its limitations for the public good to prevent anarchy. The Constitution still remains strong for the private however most of society have abandoned the private sect and exist daily under contract in the public sector subordinate to the state and it’s agencies. If there is absolute separation of church and state then why do heads of churches act as agents for the state completing marriage licenses and submitting them? What is illegal in marriage? Throughout, laws passed such as the S.A.F.E. Act and the like do not apply to the absolute private sovereign citizen only those subordinate to the state conducting themselves in a constant public capacity. The real question is do you have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness or have you asked for the privilege for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Wake up sheeple!!!

Your editorial board can squawk all you want but in the meantime the TRUE feelings of US citizens is borne out by the fact that firearm count has increased to 300 million and there has been a corresponding decrease in violent crime. There will be millions of NY’ers thumbing their noses at you stupid un-constitutional laws (ohhhh scary!). And if someone gets put on trial for a SAFE act violation I’d bet its going to be pretty hard to prevent jury nullification.

Apparently the author of this acticle has failed to undert and what'[s in NYSAFE, the legal liability and catch-22 in store for those who register their guns, the forfeiture of 4th and 5yh amendment as well as 2nd amendment rights, or ther fact that the law as passed criminalized perhaps a million otherwise law-abiding New Yorkers and seeks to strip them of their personal property and family heirlooms. The “assault rifle” is a term used to scarify and emposs and ever widening number of firearms. Automatic weapons are ALREADY banned in NMY, and “Assault rifle” semiautomatics were also ALREADY BANNED in NY, this is just including more guns on anever ending quest to strip NY citizens of guns because some people are afraid of guns.,

Please illustrate how this law will make new york “a little safer”? Criminals don’t abide by the law, thus the only ones affected are people like me. Your editorial is full of misinformation and lacks any substantial information to support your claims. Typical anti-freedom drivel.

Your assertion that the 1994 ugly gun ban “measurably reduced violent assaults with such weapons” is simply untrue. What the 1994 ban did was eliminate bayonet lugs, flash suppressors and adjustable stocks. So called “assault weapons” are used in less than 1% of violent crimes, and once again, gun owners in New York State have adapted by eliminating more evil features from their AR-15s. If you truly wish to reduce violence, address mental illness, gang activity, and the revolving door criminal justice system.

‘Our opinion: Limited as its effect with will, the New York SAFE Act’s assault weapon registration requirement is part of necessary efforts to reduce gun violence. First, please define the phrase, “with will.” Second, The Federal government did a study on their 1993-2003 “assault weapons ban,” and found that it had no effect whatsoever on crime rates in the U.S. What makes you so sure it will have this effect in New York?

‘In addition to requiring registration of assault rifles, the law bans possession of “high-capacity magazines,” and requires ammunition dealers to do background checks.” I’m not even going into the whole “high-capacity vs. standard capacity” thing; it’s been done to death. But a background check on ammunition? With, I presume, the attendant cost of the background check, that would be passed on to the buyer? Sounds like a tax on a right. Should we go back to poll taxes as well? I seem to remember those were considered “reasonable” back when, as well.

“Designated mental health professionals who believe a patient made a credible threat of harming others are now expected to report it.” So our rights are now in the hands of medical personnel who may or may not see all interest in firearms as “mental instability,” and all they have to do is report it? No thanks.

“Add to that the open defiance of the law among some law enforcement officials, and one has to wonder if it’s altogether worth it.” Now you’re getting it; the idea is that Unconstitutional should be impossible to enforce, and should be repealed.

“The law’s biggest beneficiaries may be police.” It’s biggest victims may be the law-abiding gun owners. In the last several years, there has been a vast increase in the militarisation of our police forces. At the same time, their has been an increase in the number of erroneously served “no-knock” warrants, frequently with the homeowners’ pets and sometimes even the homeowners being shot and killed. Now imagine an alternate scenario: SWAT goes to serve a “no-knock” warrant, but through some error get the wrong address. It’s dark, about five am, the homeowners are asleep. Suddenly, they are awakened by a loud crash in the living room. Husband gets up and grabs a baseball bat, goes to check it out. As he comes around the corner, he sees a group of armed men milling about in the living room and confronts them. But this time, the police know that the homeowner is armed with a deadly “assault weapon” and, seeing the long object in his hand, immediately open fire. As the smoke clears, the cops find a still-locked gun safe in the den, and the homeowner, who hadn’t done anything wrong except try to defend his home from a group of armed home invaders, lies dead on the living room floor.

“Passed in 1994 after a spate of deadly attacks, the ban measurably reduced violent assaults with such weapons.” Try again. The government did a study on the effect of this legislation and found that it had no effect whatsoever on crime rates.